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Committees

RCC Committees provide an opportunity to work with retail industry leaders on specific topics. Please use this form if you are interested in participating in a retail committee.

Government Relations

CFO Network

CFO Network committee members are senior finance executives involved not only in day-to-day operations, but who play a strategic role in their organization's overall operations. Each quarter, the committee meets to receive a comprehensive public affairs report on key issues impacting the retail industry, including developing issues related to privacy, competition, PCI, recycling, chip cards, organized crime, etc. Participants also receive an in-depth briefing on RCC's Retail Conditions report, allowing for discussion with peers on trends such as the increasing dollar and cross-border shopping. Industry experts are also on occasion asked to speak to the group about new legislations, trends in retail operations, financial reporting best practices, and more.Staff Contact:
Gary Rygus, Director, Government Relations (Ontario): 416-922-6678, Ext. 225, [email protected]

Commitment to Parents

Canadian video game retailers have developed a voluntary code which will help parents across Canada make choices that are right for their families when it comes to the purchase or rental of video and computer games. The "Commitment to Parents" code includes a pledge not to sell or rent games that carry an M-Mature or AO-Adults only -rating to anyone under the age of 17 or 18 respectively.Staff Contact:
Lanny McInnes, Director, Government Relations and Membership Services (Manitoba/Saskatchewan): 204-253-1654, [email protected]

Environment Committee

The Environment Committee is actively engaged in the development and implementation of sustainable waste diversion programs across Canada, ensuring the industry's needs and concerns are front and centre. The committee analyses waste diversion issues impacting the retail industry; advises and supports RCC volunteers and staff who sit on stakeholder and advisory/consultative bodies; and, guides RCC staff in the development and presentation of RCC positions on environmental issues to provincial governments.Staff Contact:
David Wilkes, Senior Vice-President, Government Relations 416-467-3767, [email protected]

Ontario Business Sector Working Group: Accessibility Standards

The Working Group will advise and develop strategies for the benefit of the retail sector on a number of implementation issues related to the pending Accessibility Standards such as: Requirements of proposed accessibility standards and planning for implementation; Financial implication of accessibility standards; Compliance reporting timelines for businesses; Harmonization of standards and reporting timelines; and Tools and resource materials required to support businesses.Staff Contact:
Gary Rygus, Director, Government Relations (Ontario): 416-922-6678, Ext. 225, [email protected]

Payments Committee

The Payments Committee works on government policy, regulatory and administrative issues as well as the business issues that relate to payments (credit/debit card transactions and associated costs). The committee identifies the government actions that affect retailers and their transactions with customers; analyses the implications of these actions, guides and participates with RCC staff to develop, present and advance retailer views on these matters to the appropriate bodies; identifies the business issues that arise in the area of payments (especially with respect to relationships with financial institutions, credit card companies and processors); and, represents the interests of the trade to financial institutions, bodies that represent and/or oversee financial institutions, other payments organizations, governments and other interested parties.Staff Contact:
Karl Littler, Vice-President, Provincial GR & Strategic Issues: 416-922-6678, Ext. 204, [email protected]

Public Affairs Forum

The Public Affairs Forum provides a unified voice on issues affecting the image, reputation and business practices of the Canadian retail industry. The Committee provides advice on various communication strategies affecting the retail trade, and creates a forum for RCC members to network and discuss common public relations issues.Staff Contact:
David Wilkes, Senior Vice-President, Government Relations 416-467-3767, [email protected]

Regional Advisory Networks

Regional Advisory Networks are comprised of retail members located in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba respectively. Their mandate is to assist RCC in identifying issues of interest or concern to the retail trade in a specific jurisdiction in order to assist the association in developing a list of priorities and initiatives that reflect the needs of the membership. The Networks discuss and analyze issues and help shape the industry's public and government agenda and act in an advisory capacity to help ensure regional needs and concerns are addressed appropriately. The networks also provide networking and information-sharing opportunities for senior retail executives.Staff Contact:
Lanny McInnes, Director, Government Relations and Membership Services (Manitoba/Saskatchewan): (204) 253-1654, [email protected]

Responsible Sourcing Committee

The Responsible Trade Committee brings retailers together to discuss ethical sourcing issues as they affect Canadian retailers. The Committee's mandate is to encourage retailers to adopt responsible trade practices and to share information, best practices and tools among retailers to promote responsible trade initiatives. The Committee works to communicate the commitment of Canadian retailers to responsible trade and consults and builds alliances with consumers, NGOs, academics and other industry partners.Staff Contact:
Erica R. Malik, Director of Health & Wellness and Industry Relations, 416-467-3765, 1-888-373-8245, Ext. 249, [email protected]

Retail General Counsel Roundtable

The Retail General Counsel Roundtable brings senior retail in-house lawyers together to discuss current and emerging legal issues affecting the trade. Legal resources in retail businesses — small and large — are often stretched to the limit as the issues they deal with become more complex when new legislation, regulations and by-laws come into effect. The Retail General Counsel Roundtable provides a forum for retail counsels to network and share concerns and best practices on retail-specific legal issues ranging from international trade to copyright to human resources.

Human Resources

Alberta Labour Supply Task Force

The Task Force is comprised of senior retail HR executives companies with portfolios that include recruitment and retention, retail training and education, compensation and benefits and other related interests. The Task Force's mission is to enhance success and profitability for retailers in Alberta by increasing the supply of competent employees. Mandates include the development and implementation of benchmark and metrics in areas such as compensation and benefits, employee turnover, etc, the development and implementation of a marketing strategy to promote retail as a career and the promotion of retail curriculum in high schools and post secondary institutions. In order to accomplish the mandate, three work groups have been established for each area: benchmarking, marketing and education.Staff Contact:
Lanny McInnes, Director, Government Relations and Membership Services (Manitoba/Saskatchewan): 204-253-1654, [email protected]

Human Resources Committee

The Human Resources Committee identifies federal and provincial policy, regulatory, and administrative issues in the area of human resources of interest to the retail sector. The committee assesses the significance of these issues for retailers; provides executive-level perspective and advice to RCC staff and volunteers in the development, presentation and advancement of RCC positions on HR issues to governments and other interested parties.Staff Contact:
Jim Cormier, Director, Atlantic Canada: (902) 422-4144, [email protected]

Independent Retailer Advisory Board

Loss Prevention

Loss Prevention Committee

The mandate of the Loss Prevention Committee is to support the retail industry by educating, communicating and advocating proactive asset protection strategies. Its sub-committees include the Retail Organized Crime Task Force, which includes its sub-committees focusing on organized crime rings, financial crimes, an investigators' information sharing network and research and education. Membership in the committee is voluntary and open to interested RCC members and industry resource experts/partners.Staff Contact:
Stephen O'Keefe, Consultant: 416-922-6678, Ext. 228, [email protected]

Health & Safety

Safety Group Committee

The Safety Group Committee provides retailers with a network of firms who share the common goal of reducing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Together, safety group members pool resources, share best practices and help each other develop and manage effective health and safety programs. Along with improving workplace safety, they can reduce their WSIB premiums and earn financial rebates.Staff Contact:
Sonny Brar, 1-888-373-8245 ext. 230 or email [email protected]

eCommerce Committee

eCommerce Council

The objective and mandate of the eCommerce Council is to provide leadership/direction for the RCC’s industry advocacy, public policy and digital retail strategy and to recommend, review and commission industry/consumer benchmarking & communications research for the benefit of the membership.
The Council will also provide guidance and leadership for education/conference/content relating to ecommerce/digital strategies and RCC membership programs. The Council will provide high level/quality networking and knowledge sharing amongst senior retail industry peers/counterparts in the ecommerce realm.
The eCommerce Council will be comprised of no less than 10 and no more than 18 eCommerce leaders from retail member companies across Canada. It will also be open to no more than 5 key sponsors/vendors who are seen as innovators in the field in question. Staff Contact:
Michael LeBlanc at [email protected]

Committees of the Board of Directors

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee will execute decisions of the Board of Directors, particularly with respect to the operations of RCC. The committee will be composed of three members consisting of RCC's Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer.Staff Contact:
Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO: 416-922-6678, [email protected]

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee will monitor the financial activities of RCC and act as the Board's representative. The committee will be composed of three RCC directors, including RCC's Treasurer.Staff Contact:
Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO: 416-922-6678, [email protected]